Folding playpen



p 1965 R. J. SARASIN 3,206,772

FOLDING PLAYPEN Filed Oct. 31, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3&1.

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Sept. 21, 1965 R. J. SARASIN 2 FOLDING PLAYPEN Filed Oct. 51, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z 5 Ju 55 far man, JJG'aI-au United States Patent 3,206,772 FGLDING PLAYIEN Raymond .I. Sarasin, Fitchbnrg, Mass, assignor to Thayer, Inc, Gardner, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Oct. 31, I963, Ser. No. 328,269 4 Claims. (Cl. -99) This invention relates to a new and improved folding play yard which includes a construction particularly adapted to the use of flexible net side walling and including a folding floor, in combination with a special new and improved linkage for extending the playpen to a locked open usuable condition and for folding the same to a substantially flat condition for transportation or storage.

This invention relates in general to the type of playpen which is disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 3,063,065 dated November 13, 1962. One of the outstanding characteristics of the construction resides in the fact that the playpen is very easily almost automatically foldable, the said improved linkage ensuring that the entire playpen folds simultaneously, including a pair of U- shaped interpivoted top frame members, a two-part floor hinged in the center on an axis parallel to the hinge axis of the two U-shaped members, and including the linkage, etc., so that neither side of the playpen can be folded without folding the opposite side.

To this end the invention resides in the provision of various linkages for extending the playpen parts, which linkages are connected in such a way as to be inoperable except upon operation of the entire linkage simultaneously; the provision of the two-part top frame to which is connected at each side thereof a linkage comprising a pair of pivoted links, each link being pivoted at its opposite end to another link, the latter being interpivoted at their ends between a pair of supporting legs, which extend from adjacent the hinge axis of the two U-shaped members which go to make up the top part of the frame, to support the entire device, the floor of the playpen comprising two parts hinged in the middle of the playpen on an axis parallel to the axis of folding of the two U-shaped top frame parts, and also swingingly mounted on members extending between the legs adjacent the side edges of the playpen.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of folding playpens as above described in one embodiment of which the folding floor is supported by an individual leg member hinged with respect to the two floor members between the same; and the other construction in which the fioor members are supported adjacent the hinge line thereof by a cross member mounted on the linkage mechanism, so that in one case the central floor-supporting member is free of the linkage but in the other case it comprises a part thereof.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating a form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan View, looking in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the playpen in semi-folded condition to illustrate the action of the linkages;

FIG. 4 is a view in front elevation showing a modification;

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the parts in semifolded condition;

FIG. 6 shows the parts fully folded;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on a larger scale showing how the central rod supports the floor parts, and

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view, looking in the direction of arrow 8 in FIG. 7 and with the floor parts extended.

The playpen is of square or rectangular form and includes a top frame generally indicated at 10, a floor generally indicated at 12, and a net side wall generally indicated at 14. The floor 12 and top frame 10 are interconnected by means of the linkage to be described and the side wall extends continuously about the floor and top frame forming an enclosure.

The top frame member is preferably composed of a pair of U-shaped tubular members 16 and 18 which are interpivoted at 17 at the free ends of the legs thereof by means of a fixture 20, there being a fixture 20 at each side of the playpen (see FIG. 2) and each fixture is U- shaped having spaced legs 19. The members 16 and 18 are attached in some manner to the net 14 forming a complete enclosure, and this connection may assume the form of fabric or plastic tubular members properly stitched to the net, said tubular member being indicated at 22 and enclosing the members 16 and 18.

The floor 12 comprises two substantially equal members 24 and 26 which are interpivoted as by hinges of any convenient type indicated at 28 so that they come together along a parting line 30 (see FIG. 2) and each floor member 24 and 26 is provided with a handhold as indicated at 32, 32 for carrying the playpen when it is fully folded and also to initiate the folding motion thereof to be described.

Adjacent the edges of the floor members 24 and 26 remote from the parting 30, longitudinal support members 34, 36 are provided and these are pivoted as by any kind of convenient brackets 38, 38 with respect to the floor members, so that in essence the floor members 24 and 26 may be interpivoted between an aligned condition where the playpen is open as in FIGS. 1 and 2, to a folded condition as shown in FIG. 3, although the FIG. 3 disclosure shows the parts not fully folded in order to provide for clarification of the disclosure.

At their ends the supports 34, 36 are interconnected to a pair of legs 40, 42 at each side of the playpen, so that as the floor parts 24 and 26 move from the FIG. 1 position to the FIG. 3 position, legs 40 and 42 are drawn inwardly from the FIG. 1 position to that of FIG. 3 and beyond. The legs 40, 42 are straight, continuous and rigid and are pivoted at their upper ends as at 44 to the bracket 28 at points spaced inwardly and downwardly from the pivot points 17 of the U-shaped member 16 and 18 to the bracket. The bracket 20 can be conveniently made of U shape construction, with the upper ends of the legs 40 and 42 extending between the parts thereof as may also the ends of the U-shaped members 16 and 18.

Intermediate the ends of leg members 40 and 42 there are interpivoted as at 46 and 48 two elongated links 50 and 52 respectively. Links 50 and 52 are interpivotally connected at their lower ends at 54. A bar 56 extends between the pair of links 58 and 52 at one side of the playpen and the comparable links at the opposite side thereof, and extends along the parting 30, supporting the playpen floor in the center when the same is extended as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The links 50 and 52 are relatively long and are pivotally connected at 58, 60 to short links 62, 64 which in turn are pivoted at their upper ends as at 66, 68 intermediate the ends of the legs of the U-shaped frames 16 and 18. As in many other folding play yards, a foot treadle indicated at '70 can be utilized in order to initiate the folding action of the floor parts 20 and 26.

The links 58, 62 and 52, 64 together with their interpivoted relationship at 58 and 60 forms a past dead center latch which holds the play yard fully extended as in FIGS. 1 and 2. If it is desired to fold the play yard, the operator steps on the treadle 70 thus pivoting floor part 26 upwardly and carrying with it the floor part 24, which action results in breaking the dead center locks. This action is continued by pressing downwardly on the top frames 16 and 18, to fold the play yard to and beyond the FIG. 3 position, to be fully folded, the legs 40 and 42 being then substantially vertical.

On the other hand, the operator may ignore the treadle 70 which can be omitted if desired and grasp the two floor parts adjacent the parting 30 by means of the handholds 32, and by giving a simple raising action, this breaks the dead center locks and results in the folding action above described.

A modification of the device is shown in FIGS. 4, and 6 wherein the upper frame parts are indicated at 72 and 74, the interpivoted legs at 76 and 78, the floor parts are shown at 80 and 82, and they have a parting line at 84, together with a central support member 86 which extends across the play yard in parallelism to the axis of motion of the members 72 and 74 and supports the floor in the center thereof similarly to the action of bar 56, although it is to be noted that the bar 56 is not connected to the floor parts but the member 86 is so connected as by brackets 85. The bar or support 86 has downturned ends 87 to contact the floor on which the playpen rests.

A pair of pins 83, 83 are attached to support member 86 and extend downward to slide in slots 81, 81 in the brackets 85. Thus when the floor boards are in opened position, slots 81 in members 85 engage pins 83 and apply pressure in opposite directions on pins 83 to position legs 87 on member 86 at right angles to floor boards to support the floor boards 80, 82.

The legs are pivoted intermediate their ends but more adjacent the upper ends thereof as at 89, 91 by a pair of links 88, 90 which are interpivoted at 92. These links are pivoted at their other ends as at 94 and 96 to longer links 98 and 100. Links 98 and 100 in turn are pivoted at 102 and 104 to the frame member 72 and 74 but farther apart than the pivot points 66 and 68. It is to be understood that the construction is the same at both sides of the playpen and that there are structural members connected to legs 76 and 78 underlying the same and supporting the floor in the same manner as the members 34 and 36.

The operation in this case is the same as before. Either the treadle 106 can be utilized or the handholds, not shown in FIG. 4 but the same as at 32 in FIG. 2, may be utilized in order to break the dead center linkages 88, 94, 98 and 90, 96, 100 so as to bring the same to the semi-folded condition of FIG. 5 and the fully folded condition of FIG. 6. It is only necessary to pull out the top frame members 72 and 74 from the FIG. 6 position in order to fully extend the entire playpen and the past dead center linkages automatically lock the same in position, this being true ,of both modifications of the device.

It will therefore be seen that neither side of the playpen can be folded alone but that the top parts 16 and 18, floor parts 24 and 26 and legs 50, 52 all fold simultaneously; and the same is true as to the top frame parts 72 and 74, floor parts 80 and 82, and the legs 76 and 78 shown in FIG. 4. In other words, all of the parts of the device are interdependent and therefore if one side is folded, the other side folds also, and if one side is unfolded, the other side of the playpen also unfolds.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A playpen comprising a two-part floor, each floor part comprising one-half of the floor, said floor parts being hinged together adjacent a central dividing line of the playpen, a pair of supporting leg members at each side of the playpen, a cross bar at the lower portion of each leg member, said floor parts being respectively hingedly mounted on said cross bars on axes remote from the center line of the playpen, a pair of U-shaped top frame members having free-ended arms, a pair of brackets, the arms being hinged in pairs at the free ends thereof to the brackets, the upper ends of the leg members being pivoted in pairs to the brackets, and a locking linkage interpivoted relative to said leg members and said U-shaped top members, said locking linkage comprising a relatively short link pivoted to each arm of each U-shaped top member, a longer link pivoted intermediate its ends to a respective supporting leg member at an intermediate point thereof, and pivoted to a respective short link at one end thereof, the opposite ends of said longer links being interpivoted, said linkages each comprising a dead center latching means for holding the U-shaped top members in extended horizontal condition when the floor parts are in extended horizontal condition, said U-shaped top members being foldable to vertical condition, the leg members being foldable to a vertical condition simultaneously therewith, and a support for the floor secured to the longer links at their point of interconnection and extending under the floor in detached but supporting relation thereto adjacent the dividing line.

2. The folding playpen recited in claim 1 including a handle located in each floor member adjacent the dividing line thereof, said handles being useful to raise the adjacent edges of said floor members, breaking the dead center latching means and allowing the playpen to be folded.

3. A folding playpen as recited in claim 1 including a treadle secured to at least one of said folding floor members and adapted to initiate a raising action at the central portion thereof along the dividing line.

4. A playpen comprising an upper frame including two generally U-shaped sections having free-ended arms, means to interpivot the same to form an enclosure, a bracket pivotally connecting each pair of adjoining arm ends to join said sections in foldable relationship,

a pair of legs pivoted to each bracket and extending downwardly therefrom and in general diverging relationship but being pivotable into general parallel relationship upon folding of the aforesaid frame,

a floor member including two sections pivoted one to the other and foldable along an axis generally par allel to the axis of fold of the upper frame, means pivoting said legs to said floor sections,

a plurality of linkages, each linkage interconnecting one side of one upper frame section with the ad joining leg and the floor member, said linkages locking said playpen in extended position with the upper U-shaped sections substantially horizontal and the floor horizontal, and unlocking the playpen for moving to a folded position when the axis of fold of the floor member is raised and the legs generally swung together,

each said linkage including a relatively short link pivoted at one end thereof to a respective upper frame arm, a longer link pivoted intermediate its ends to a respective leg and to the shorter link at corresponding ends of the links, and a support for the floor secured to the longer link at its opposite end, said support extending under the floor in detached but supporting relation thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PLAYPEN COMPRISING A TWO-PART FLOOR, EACH FLOOR PART COMPRISING ONE-HALF OF THE FLOOR, SAID FLOOR PARTS BEING HINGED TOGETHER ADJACENT A CENTRAL DIVIDING LINE OF THE PLAYPEN, A PAIR OF SUPPORING LEGS MEMBERS AT EACH SIDE OF THE PLAYPEN, A CROSS BAR AT THE LOWER PORTION OF EACH LEG MEMBER, SAID FLOR PARTS BEING RESPECTIVELY HINGEDLY MOUNTED ON SAIDCROSS BARS ON AXES REMOTE FROM THE CENTER LNE OF THE PLAYPEN, AS PAIR OF U-SHAPED TOP FRAME MEMBERS HAVING FRE-ENDED ARMS, A PAIRO F BRACKETS, THE ARMS BEING HINGED IN PAIRS AT THE FREE ENDS THEREOF TO THE BRACKETS, THE UPPER ENDS OF THE LEG MEMBERS BEING PIVOTED IN PAIRS OT THE BRACKETS, AND A LOCKING LINKAGE INTERPIVOTED RELATIVE TO SAID LEG MEMBERS AND SAID U-SHAPED TOP MEMBERS, SAID LOCKING LINKAGE COMPRISING A RELATIVELY SHORT LINK PIVOTED TO EACH ARM OF EACH U-SHAPED TOP MEMBER, A LONGER LINK PIVOTED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TO A RESPECTIVE SUPPORTING LEG MEMBER AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT THEREOF, THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID LONGER LINK AT ONE END THEREOF, THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID LONGER LINKS BEING INTERPIVOTED, SAID LINKAGES EACH COMPRISING A DEAD CENTER LATDHING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE U-SHAPED TOP MEMBERS IN EXTENDED HORIZONTAL CONDITION WHEN THE FLOOR PARTS ARE IN EXTENDED HORIZONTAL CONDITION, SAID U-SHAPED TOP MEMBERS BEIG FOLDABLE TO VERTICAL CONDITION, THE LEG MEMBERS BEING FOLDABLE TO A VERTICAL CONDITION, THE LEG OUSLY THEREWITH, AND A SUPPORT FOR THE FLOOR SECURED TO THE LONGER LINKS AT THEIR POINT OF INTERCONNECTION AND EXTENDING UNDER THE FLOR IN DETACHED BUT SUPPORTING RELATION THERETO ADJACENT THE DIVIDING LINE. 